The Icelandic Colonization of Greenland, 17 
Basalt columns, standing tier upon tier — which is also the same case 
on several of the other islands — but not to such a degree. The two sum- 
mits give the island an imposing appearance and they can be seen far 
and wide. The island lies rather out of the way, and a deep bay with 
a narrow inlet forces its way between the mountains. It was a good 
hiding place, and here it was also, that Eric’s ship lay until the departure, 
whilst his pursuers searched for him in vain on all the islands. Tradi- 
tion has turned the Saga’s imperfect tales to account, with their report 
of the island having woods, the trees of which Eric felled to cover his 
ship so that it could not be discovered, but it is very doubtful as to 
the tradition being true. In any case no woods are to be seen now. 
But there is absolutely no doubt of the Greenland expedition having 
started from here. 
In the neighbourhood of Stykkisholm lies the Thingstead of Thors- 
ness, where Eric had been judged. Here one saw several sites of square 
booths, the walls of which were made of earth-turfs, and over which 
a tent-cloth was spread as long as the court sat, for here the assize people 
lived, ready to take part in all the transactions of law, that took place 
within a certain distance — as well as their listening to the pronouneing 
of the sentence of judgement from the slopes of the court. They passed 
the rest of the time in sport and games. The court was held either in 
the spring or the beginning of summer, and after Eric had been doomed as 
an outlaw for three years, at Thorsnes, he was obliged to disappear. 
Whilst Erie the Red travelled in Haukadal and on the islands 
beyond Hvammsfiord, events took place which are excellently described 
in Eyrbyggja-Saga. At that time a mighty chief lived, Snorri Godi (chief 
and priest) on the farm Helgafell, built under a fine isolated mountain, 
south of Stykkisholm. He was the son of a grandson of Thorolf Moster 
beard, his contentions with another well-to-do peasant, and Godi, who 
lived in the neighbourhood, Arnkel Thorolfsson from Bolstad, give a 
graphical description of those times. 
In these contentions, amongst which a wood was concerned, several 
peasants from Alptafiord, a fiord which forces its way into the country 
just east of Thorsness court, took part. The contest continued at the 
time Eric the Red was doomed an outlaw: and one can see, that he 
was very well acquainted with and connected to several of the com- 
batants. Such was the case with Thorbrand’s sons from Alptafiord, 
who had helped him in the quarrel at Drangar. After Eric had left 
on account of his outlawry, Snorri and the Thorbrands-sons killed 
Arnkel (a. 990): with that, the contest ended. 
According to the custom, Eric the Red had — after being sen- 
tenced — a respite, so as to be able to reach his dwelling, before any 
one was allowed to kill him. In Iceland there was no executive power 
in the form of police, and they, who had sentenced a man, had to 
see to it themselves, that the sentence was fulfilled. 
LVI. 2 
